Davis: Feeling right at home

This is the first time that I've come to a new team in a trade. It's been a different experience for me, but everyone -- the players, the coaches and management -- has treated me well and they've let me go out there and pitch. I already feel like I'm at home with Arizona.

Coming here from Milwaukee and having been in the National League now for close to five years has been a benefit for me in making the transition. It's also a good fit because I'm a West Coast guy. I live in Texas now, but I'm from California and I also have a place out in Scottsdale, Ariz., which made the trade a lot easier. It's nice to have a place to stay here.

My place is about 35-40 minutes from downtown Phoenix. So I didn't have to find an apartment to rent and go through the typical logistical challenges you face when you switch teams. We also train in Arizona. But the biggest benefit is that I can visit my kids in California whenever I have a day off and they can come here during a long homestand.

Having those conveniences also allows me to concentrate that much more on baseball and pitching.

Overall, I'm happy with the way I've pitched so far this year, but I'm not completely satisfied. I've kept my team in the game every time I've been out there so far. Giving my team a chance to win every time I take the field is the main thing. Coming to a new team, that's been especially important for me to demonstrate.

Off the field, all of my new teammates have been open and easy to talk to. Guys don't keep to themselves that much. There also seems to be a lot of respect.

I never thought I would get to the point of being a veteran player, but I am now, and I've been impressed by the way the young guys are going about their business, both pitchers and position players. They're all very talented, too, so I feel we can be really good right now, as well as in the coming years.

So I have no regrets about coming here from Milwaukee. The trade also seems to be working out well for the Brewers, so everybody won.

Veteran left-hander Doug Davis, who came to Arizona in a six-player trade last November, leads the D-backs -- and is ninth in the National League -- with a 2.36 ERA through his first seven starts this season. Now in his ninth season and with his fourth club, Davis has established himself as a dependable Major League starter with 200-plus innings pitched in each of his three seasons with Milwaukee.

This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.